Do Different Video Slot Games Have Different Odds?

If you’ve ever considered having a spin on any of the thousands of สล็อตออนไลน์ (slot online) games available on the web then you might have asked yourself this question – which one gives me the best odds of winning? And you would be right to seek an answer because not all video slots offer the same payouts. In fact, each one is different in its own right.

That’s why in this article we’re going to help you to find slot games with good payouts. As you read, keep in mind that there are several factors that influence the expected payout of a game. Also consider that which slot is right for you will depend upon your attitude to risk and reward, and your initial gambling budget, as we will explain. It may seem a little complex at first but it is worth taking the time to understand. And with so many new blockbuster games on release each month like those at the new casinos listed on this page, you’ll want to make sure you find one that’s right for you for maximum fun!

So let’s get started …

There are three things in a slot to look for when figuring out the odds. They are Return to Player (RTP), Variance and Top Prize. Let’s examine each in turn.

Return to Player (RTP)

The RTP of a game tells you how much it will pay out as a percentage of all the money wagered on it. Most video slots have an RTP of around 96%. That means, for every $100 wagered, $96 will be paid out in prizes.

Simple, right? In theory, yes, it is. And overall, the higher the published RTP, the more a game will pay back in prizes over time. But remember, that figure is just an average and throughout your slots session the RTP will shift above and below the advertised figure. Sometimes it will be greater than 100% and you will be winning. Other times it will be lower than 100% and you will be losing.

This is the variation that makes slots play exciting. And brings us on to our next point.

Variance

Variance is equally important. It is also sometimes called volatility and it works in conjunction with RTP and tells you how far from the advertised return a game will vary over time.

For example, in a low variance game the RTP will not vary much during your play. Most of the time you will experience payouts a little over or under what is advertised, but without too much difference. This creates a stable and even win distribution with regular and typically smaller payouts.

In a high variance game, the opposite is true. Now, the payouts will drop wildly to much lower than the advertised RTP for long periods of play before lurching upwards to figures much higher for short periods of time. This is known as volatile gameplay. Typically in these games you will see long periods where you spin the reels with little payback. It can be very frustrating. But then, suddenly the game will start paying out in big prizes. A short win sequence can bring huge rewards in this type of game.

So, in highly volatile slots the win distribution is very uneven. These games are known as high risk and whilst the odds of coming away with money in your pocket are much longer, the potential rewards are much higher. Which brings us on to our next point.

Top Prize

Ultimately, if you want to know what you can win from a slot game, you should look at the top prize in the paytable. In most slots this will be expressed as a multiple of your stake. So, a 10,000x top prize means that if you bet $1 per spin then the most you can win on a single spin is $10,000.

Typically, a low variance game will have a smaller top prize. Usually around 500x to 1,000x. The best high variance games can have prizes that are much, much bigger. Sometimes as high as 150,000x. In a game like San Quentin xWays by No Limit City that would mean you can win $150,000 with just a $1 bet.

Keep in mind though that the odds of hitting these wins are very, very small. In their up-coming Legion X game, the same studio quote the odds of hitting the top prize of 31,000x as 1 in 36 million! So, you can see how taking that top payout figure on its own is not enough. You must also look at the odds of hitting it too.

So far we have only talked about standard video slots. There are also games called Progressive Jackpots that have much bigger cash prizes to be won. These are games like Mega Moolah from Microgaming and Mega Fortune by NetEnt. Typically these jackpots run into the millions of dollars. They too have very long odds but they are some of the biggest jackpots you can win online.

Our Conclusion

At the start of this article we asked, Do Different Video Slot Games Have Different Odds? The answer is most emphatically, yes! Remember that games with a higher RTP will pay back more of the money wagered as prizes. But on its own this number does not tell you the whole story. You should also refer to the variance which will give you an idea of how frequently the game will drop a winning spin and how big the payout will be. Then finally, consider the top available payout. Some games offer the chance to win much more than others, though keep in mind that the bigger the prize, the longer the odds of winning it!

In summary, as a rule, if you are interested in low risk slots play with the chance to keep winning and reinvesting, then aim for low variance slots. But if you like the possibility of hitting huge payouts and are prepared to experience long periods with no payback to do so then choose high variance slots.

Good luck and check out these further resources for more info on this topic.

Profiles of high variance slots by No Limit City

Latest Jackpot Totals From the Microgaming Progressive Series